Should I move? Almost 30 yr old potential software dev

[undercover]

I'm 28. MIS degree. Got in a long term relationship that didn't work out and so I ended up staying around where I grew up and not really starting a career but instead building a rental business unrelated to what I want to be doing which is software development or AI or something along those lines. I always thought I would end up somewhere out west just to cure my adventurous spirit and also give myself greater earning power.

Welp, I'm a free man now and those possibilities are entering my mind again. I current in live in Western NC and while I could certainly move to Raleigh, it doesn't interest me in the slightest. It's small, still very southern, and I just don't think it has the same opportunities even though it might be a great way to sock away some cash with the right job since the cost of living is relatively low.

I visited Seattle several years back and liked it a lot so that's where I'm thinking. I have enough passive income to give it a try and really not lose much...but by try I mean 6-12 months at least of really trying to hustle and get in somewhere.

What say you? I'm almost 29 and I'm just afraid it's too late for me to really work my way up considering I've never actually had a software dev job even though it's the only thing I conceivably want to do in life at the moment. But I also feel like I have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. I know I'm going to be looking at entry level jobs but I'm still a little worried about that. I'm not dead set on software...just something to do with tech/software to get my foot in the door.

[market timer]

You have many years left to find your career. Go to Seattle, rent a cheap place that will let you network and job hunt, and spend the rest of your time brushing up on the tech you'll need.

[AccidentialMustache]

BS/MS CS degree here. I did IT (linux sysadmin) for a while after college. Kinda shitty pay. Kept up my dev skills on the side in my sysadmin role. Transitioned to software, first as a contractor (it was the position they had after a round of stupid large corporate layoffs) which turned full time within a year. I never left my college town -- first it was the DGF finishing up her degree, then she ABD'd, we got married and just settled down.

Its certainly doable. You don't have to move to do it. I don't know if moving will improve your process or not. Amazon and MS are probably pretty dominant in Seattle. That may open doors at other places trying to compete with them, but it may also limit opportunities if you don't want to do Amazon/MS.

I have read that in some of those locations the M:F ratio is out of wack (software dev being vastly male right now), so if you're looking to settle down, there may be advantages to picking another, less hot/large tech hub.

[bognish]

Move. You can always go back to NC (or somewhere else) if it doesn't work out.

[seattlecyclone]

I moved to Seattle a decade ago from the Midwest where I grew up. I had a job offer close to home, but the pay in Seattle at the time was enough higher to more than offset the difference in living expenses. Housing here has doubled in price since then, so that may no longer quite be the case. The quantity of jobs here seems to bode well for someone looking to get into the industry.